Why is it that Dominicans insist on rollersetting hair, when they could just straighten it with a blowdryer?The lofty place of los rolosin the famed Dominican method of hair straightening is not without reason.Roller sets give your straightened hair that extra edge, volume and vitality. Here's how. . .

Roller sets = Less heat

Using rollers as a step in straightening your hair means your strands spend less time in contact with direct heat, which is the most damaging form of heat for your hair.

The rollers stretch your hair out and smooth it out as it dries under the hood dryer, allowing you to build in straightness before you go toe-to-toe with the blowdryer, and possibly the flat iron. Blowdrying hair from wet is a no-no in the Dominican tradition. In contrast, when you roller set first, by the time you use the other tools, a lot of the straightening has already happened, meaning you need less direct heat time to achieve your desired look.

Roller sets = More volume

The big curl given by the rollers (for a traditional Dominican Blowout, your stylist will use the biggest size roller your hair can take, in order to maximise stretch), imprints your hair with volume, all the while temporarily smoothing away your natural curl. This tension-based, more 3D method of straightening – as opposed to the flattening effect of the flat iron – conserves and builds in body, leaving your hair as full as it is smooth when done.

Rollersets = More smoothness

Getting the hair to lie tautly stretched over a roller as it dries has a strong smoothing effect that just can't be replicated with a blowdryer or a flat iron. Done right, rollersetting is tension-based straightening that takes advantage of your hair's flexibility when wet, allowing the roller set to mould your hair into straightness – as opposed to nearly melting it and deforming it, which is what direct heat styling tools do. Just make sure you avoid common rolling mistakes and use the right methods and products to ensure your hair lies smooth on the roller – and the right rollers to maximise the stretch, with minimum impact on your hair.

Rollersets = Hair with movement

Rollers give your hair some serious bounce and flow! The curved shape which the rollers form your hair into comes with its own spring. And not only that: using a roller set beforehand preserves precious moisture, and moisture = movement. Straightened hair can often suffer from lack of movement when achieved by blowdryer, flat iron or pressing comb alone, largely because the hair loses so much moisture after sustained straightening at higher, direct heat, which has a stiffening effect. An authentic Dominican stylist will lay your hair in rollers under the dryer before even contemplating the blowdryer. And by the time she unravels the springy roller set, your hair has some serious movement to it, most of which will stay intact during the blowdry phase, as, in the Dominican Blowout – despite the name – this part is kept to a minimum, reducing the stress on your hair.

Rollersets = Straighter hair

Even if you're pressing your hair old-school with a hot comb, getting some of the curl out beforehand with the rollers means you can get your hair more straightened before it reaches the point of resistance, which most of us know only too well.

After a certain amount of time under the blowdryer, flat iron or pressing comb, healthy hair tends to reach a point where it refuses to be straightened any further. Usually, when this happens, you have to hit it up again the next day – meaning more heat, which is not good at all for your tresses. Rollers are just about the best way to stretch out your cur beforehand, meaning you start the manual straightening process with hair that's already partway straight. Stretching your hair beforehand means you get to maximise the impact of the time during which your hair is straightened with direct heat, since you give it a little headstart. It also means you spend less time using these tools in your tresses – a very hair healthy bonus.

Roller sets = Longer-lasting straightness

Using a combination of methods always gives your straightened hair more mileage. When a Dominicana rollersets your hair, blows it out and then wraps it into el Doobie, your hair gets imprinted with a multilayered straightness, allowing it to stay straight for longer. A Dominican Blowout can last a good 1-2 weeks, especially if you know the right way to stretch your Blowout. A whole lot of that longer-lasting straightness is due to the amazing stretching powers of a roller set. Ready to see what a good roller set can do for your hair? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to rollerset your hair. Happy rolling!